Yi-An Chen
Assistant Professor Occupational Therapy- Education
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Ph.D., Biokinesiology, August 2017Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
M.S., Occupational Therapy, June 2008National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
B.S., Occupational Therapy, June 2006
- Biography
Clinical Expertise
Neurorehabilitation, upper extremity rehabilitation, stroke, home-based therapy, mobile health (mHealth) technologyResearch Interests
Dr. Chen’s research interests focus on upper extremity rehabilitation in individuals with neurological disorders. Specifically, she is interested in using mobile health (mHealth) technology to understand the impact of social-cognitive factors (e.g., self-efficacy, social environment) on individuals’ daily arm/hand use behavior following stroke to further understand the mechanisms of “non-use phenomenon”. In Dr. Chen’s recent manuscripts, she innovatively combined a novel application, Ecological Momentary Assessment, with wrist-worn accelerometers to determine the critical role of social-cognitive factors in arm/hand use selections in the daily environment post-stroke.Dr. Chen was recently funded on an interdisciplinary project with the School of Music. The project is to provide home-based piano therapy using a mobile application with a portable piano for participants with stroke to enhance upper extremity functions and to promote rehab access. Learn more here.
Selected Publications
Chen Y-A, Lewthwaite R, Monterosso J, Schweighofer N, Fisher BE, & Winstein CJ. (Manuscript Submitted). A novel combination of ecological momentary assessment and accelerometry for post-stroke paretic arm/hand use: Feasibility and validity.Chen Y-A, Chung Y-C, Wade E, Proffitt R, & Winstein CJ. (2015). Attentional demand of a virtual reality-based reaching task in nondisabled older adults. Journal of Motor Learning and Development, 3(2), 91-109.
Wu C-Y, Chen Y-A, Lin K-C, Chao C-P, & Chen Y-T. (2012). Constraint-induced therapy with trunk restraint for improving functional outcomes and trunk-arm control after stroke: a randomized controlled trial. Physical Therapy, 92(4), 483–92.
Wu C-Y, Chen Y-A, Chen H-C, Lin K-C, & Yeh I-L. (2011). Pilot trial of distributed constraint-induced therapy with trunk restraint to improve post-stroke reach to grasp and trunk kinematics. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, 26(3), 247-255.
Lin K-C, Chen Y-A, Chen C-L., Wu C-Y, & Chang Y-F. (2010). The effects of bilateral arm training on motor control and functional performance in chronic stroke: A randomized controlled study. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, 24(1), 42-51.
Selected Presentations
Butler AJ, Housley SN, Chen Y-A, & Wolf SL. (2018, April). Increasing access to cost-effective home-based robotic tele-rehabilitation for rural stroke survivors. Oral presentation at Southern Gerontological Society & Georgia Gerontology Society, Buford, GA.Chen Y-A, Lewthwaite R, & Winstein CJ. (2016, June). Using ecological momentary assessments to study the impact of social-cognitive factors on paretic hand use after stroke. Oral presentation at North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity, San Diego, CA.
Chen Y-A, Lewthwaite R, Chen S-Y, Fieldman R, and Winstein CJ. (2013, November). Effects of social-comparative feedback to enhance self-efficacy of paretic hand selection in chronic stroke: A pilot study. Poster presented at American Society of Neurorehabilitation, San Diego, CA.
Chen Y-A, Chung Y-C, and Winstein CJ. (2012, November). Measuring attentional demand in healthy elders under virtual and real target conditions. Proceedings of Gerontological Society of America, San Diego, CA.
Chen Y-A. (2008, November). Constraint-induced therapy and its variants in stroke rehabilitation. Invited speaker presented at International Occupational Therapy Conference, Guangzhou, China.
Funding
Georgia State University, Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing & Health Professions,
Intramural Grant (2018-2019), Awarded $ 7,000 (Role: Principal Investigator)Memberships
American Occupational Therapy Association
American Heart Association
Society for Neuroscience
North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical ActivityService
Reviewer, American Journal of Occupational Therapy
Reviewer, British Journal of Occupational Therapy
Member, Occupational Therapy Department Faculty Search CommitteeAwards and Honors
Most Outstanding Award
2017 Jacquelin Perry Research Day, USC Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, Los Angeles, CABiokinesiology and Physical Therapy Candidate Award, 1st Place
2017 USC Ostrow School of Dentistry Research Day, Los Angeles, CANeural Control and Motor Behavior Award, 2nd Place
2014 USC Ostrow School of Dentistry Research Day, Los Angeles, CABest Research Poster Award
2010 Occupational Therapy Association Conference, Taoyuan, TaiwanResearch Poster Award
2009 Occupational Therapist Union Conference, Taipei, Taiwan